Michael Duffy: Derry City's season boils down to staying in the cup

​For a campaign that has largely drifted into obscurity following a disappointing league season, the cup represents Derry's last opportunity to give the year meaning.

With the Candy Stripes just two wins away from a third trip to the Aviva Stadium in five years, Duffy admits Sunday's showdown has become the defining game of City's season.

"Aye it is, big time," said Duffy who has been shortlisted for August’s SSE Airtricity/SWI Player of the Month.

"We know how important the cup is for us. It's a huge game, a quarter-final and we're two games away from a final, so it's absolutely huge on Sunday. We're excited for it and it's set up for a cracker of a game."

Derry has fallen well short of their league ambitions this season, but Duffy believes a cup run could ensure the campaign is a memorable one and serve as a springboard for success next year.

"Of course the season boils down to staying in the cup," he admitted. "We want to be successful and win stuff. Obviously the league form hasn't been good enough this year and we're nowhere near where we want to be in that.

"We're two games away from getting to the Aviva to try to get our hands on that trophy, so it's absolutely huge for us and it would finish the season on a massive high."

The incentive is there for City, with either Bohs or St Pat’s guaranteed to exit the competition in another quarter-final, but Duffy knows his former club Dundalk - where he enjoyed cup success in 2018 and 2020 - will provide a formidable obstacle.

"You see in our league anyone can beat anyone really and everyone is really tough to play against," he said. "Dundalk is first for us and they're having a great season.

"They have a great manager and some great players, so it will be a very tough game on Sunday. I'm delighted we're at home and hopefully we can get a packed Brandywell to get us over the line."

Duffy knows better than most what a packed Brandywell can bring to a big occasion and has urged the supporters to turn out in force.

"Whenever the fans are behind us, it's great," he said. "You're walking out to that and they're cheering every tackle, every chance, every good bit of play. It's great and it gives us a good bit of confidence.

"It's what you want. You want to play at a packed-out Brandywell. Some of the nights this year when the place has been rammed, we've put in some good performances for them and we've given everything.

"It's huge for us as players and I know it's massive for the fans as well. They want a day out at the end of the year and want us to win the trophy as well, so it's huge."

The Derry captain has won four FAI Cup winner's medals during his career – two with his hometown club and two with Dundalk - and has experienced the magic of the competition from both sides.

One of his earliest cup memories came as a youngster in 2012, when he raced onto the Aviva Stadium pitch following Derry's dramatic 3-2 extra-time victory over St Pat's.

Now, more than a decade later, he hopes to lead his hometown club back to Dublin 4 on November 8th.

"I've been lucky enough to play in two cup finals since I've come back to the club. Unbelievable days.

"The support we get from Derry, you see how much it means to everyone. Look, 20,000 plus is crazy stuff, going the whole way down to Dublin. The buzz around the town in the lead up to it and on the day it's incredible. I really hope we can do that this year.

"Sunday is first and I really hope the fans get behind us on Sunday and pack the Brandywell out and get behind us and get us into that semi-final draw."

Duffy knows going all the way in the cup will provide unforgettable memories for some of the club's younger members as it did for him back in 2012.

"I was only a young lad but I remember running onto the pitch and celebrating and going mad," he laughed. "It was an unbelievable feeling coming back up with the team and the cup to the Guildhall I think it was the next night. Back to the Derry social club after it. You don't forget those days.

"Even for the young lads who are in with us now, they'll never forget it. It's all of us, everyone in there; the whole group together, it means so much to the club.

"I got a medal and everything that day, so it's some amazing memories and I really hope we get there agian this year."

Duffy believes the recent change in approach under interim boss Mark Connolly has given the players renewed freedom, with City scoring freely during an encouraging run of performances.

"It's been really enjoyable the last few weeks," he said. "In the attacking areas, he's given us so much freedom. He just wants us to work hard when we lose the ball but up there we're working on different patterns and movements. You can go and play anywhere and express yourselves.

"I think we've done that in the last few games. There's been some brilliant play and I'm really enjoying it."

Duffy himself has rediscovered his goalscoring touch after a barren spell and hopes he can make a decisive contribution at the business end of the campaign.

"I went on a dry patch with goals but I'm glad to be back involved now and it's just about getting wins now coming into the end of the year," he said.

"Hopefully I can keep it coming. This is the business end of the season. It's the biggest game of the season on Sunday, so hopefully I can be a matchwinner in a way, setting goals up and scoring goals.

"We have a lot of attacking threats here that can do that also. We'll go out to enjoy the game, play with freedom, work hard when we don't have the ball and go and win the game.

"We know how important it is to pick up wins now," added Duffy. "It's just new ideas and new patterns and Mark is constantly on everyone, not just the attackers, to play forward and be brave."

Dundalk's front-foot style under Ciaran Kilduff has made them one of the most entertaining sides in the division this season, while recent meetings between the Lilywhites and Derry have produced plenty of drama.

"Dundalk are intense," Duffy said. "They play on the front foot and play some decent football at times. They have a lot of good attackers.

"Over the last few years Dundalk and Derry games have always been good games. There's been goals in them, but we want to go in on Sunday and a clean sheet is massive for us.

"We want to do everything we can to get into the next round."

Duffy's five-year spell at Oriel Park means he will face a club for which he still holds considerable affection - but sentiment will have no place when the teams meet at the Brandywell.

"Dundalk is nearly like a second home," he admitted. "I've so many good memories from down there. I was there for five years and I always like to see Dundalk doing well.

"Obviously when I'm up against them I want to beat them and the cup is our main goal, so I want them out on Sunday.

"If we reached the final it would just finish the season on a massive high and push forward to next year," he said.

"Obviously if you win the cup you get the European benefits too. We know we haven't been good enough all year. Things have gradually been getting better the last few weeks in here.

"If we could go all the way it would end the season on a massive high and push forward into next year."